


the soul in the swords

by electric_stydiax



Series: SteelAtom Week 2017 [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Hemophilia, M/M, Soul bonding to Weapons???, Swords and Souls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 18:19:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electric_stydiax/pseuds/electric_stydiax
Summary: After acquiring some ornate weaponry, the villain of the week decided to slip the team in her web. It takes Nate taking her down, and taken out to cause an important conversation to happen between him and Ray.





	the soul in the swords

The thing about fate is it doesn't consider biology in its caveats. So if you end up trapped in a somewhat ill fated body, you are more or less fucked. Nate was pretty resigned to his condition and fate, whatever the hell it is. For years, his inner most fear was dying because of a single cut from, anything really. He saw so little because of this one nuance, this one flaw in his body. 

Then he became Steel and things changed enough to where the sword over his head wasn't due to his condition, but because he was a hero. 

When the team was time scattered and Nate had to find them, he encountered something unexplainable. Due to the ship carrying an energy force that repels time, his body experienced a slight change. If he did get cut, along with just bleeding Nate also saw visions and distortions which led the team to certain aberrations and time periods subconsciously.

He never took into account metahumans who could reverse or even absorb his abilities until a place in between Japan and the 1770’s manifested itself. It was a town that was never put down on paper, and was never in the same place twice. 

Upon encountering this town, both Nate and Ray were excited to get off the ship where a liminal space actually existed and its impact lived outside a specific point in time.  
Ray was looking around a shop of oddities and unique baubles, along with an occasional weapon or two. He was tugging his boyfriend around murmuring, “Nate. Nate, look. They're a pair of swords with etched hilts from - “

“Wait, that time period is lost to all known written history. The island of Crystal Crypt was lost to natural events over 2,000 years ago supposedly. It's like Atlantis, but it existed. How did they salvage these?” Nate saw the vendor and began bargaining with them. To the surprise of both men, the vendor gave them the swords for free. 

“Take them, for I sense you need them more than I do. I have no use for them anymore and they hold little worth here. Take the Soul Blades in good faith.”

Once they got back to the ship, they went to their shared room and examined the hilts more closely to see an empty space where no insignia lay. 

“You think that was for the house crest? Coat of arms? It doesn't make for something so ornate be empty in one spot.”

Ray mused for a moment and realized, “ it's a soul lock. It can seal people away and it can take from the wielder to enhance itself too. If we bleed on or even touch each other while holding these they could destroy us.”

Nate casted a questioning look to Ray and replaced,“No wonder we got these for free. They're basically cursed aren't they?”

“Not cursed, Nate. Enchanted by beings beyond our understanding.”

“I hope that's all it is.” Nate only sighed and gave his boyfriend a soft, exasperated look as he placed the swords in a case he had already.

A week later 

“It must be nice knowing you will die soon, won't it?” The villainess of the week was a metahuman who teleported through reality and siphoned people’s abilities. Ray was tied across a spider’s web made from rope and a metal alloy woven together. The web also dulled the strength of his suit by channeling the dwarf star through the web as a force field. 

“My team will kick your ass. Plus, we weren't ever very good at staying dead, so I think you're in for a rude surprise, Lady Recluse.”

He tried thinking of Nate, sending him a message saying, “stay on the ship. God, please stay on the ship. She'll kill you if you don't.” 

Nate had a intense bad feeling. Not a normal “oh that's not good” feeling but rather a “I can't go up against her unless i’m the last resort” feeling. He elected to stay on the ship for a possible extraction plan. 

After a long arduous battle, the whole team was nearly down. Nate went down to his shared room with Ray and pulled out the swords. 

“I'm going to kick her ass. Then, i'm going to get my boyfriend out of this mess with the team. Time to raise hell I suppose.”

Once he got down to Lady Recluse’s lair, the first thing he saw Ray hanging from a web helpless and growing paler. 

“I would like my team back, please and fucking thank you. You might think you have every ability in the world, but you don't have mine and I have this-” 

He strikes her waist, the sword hitting her chest. A shock passes through the both of them. Her body goes limp, running cold while any trace of her soul made his now indoctrinated sword activate. Then he fainted as he began to bleed, with the team released and his head ultra fuzzy.

Ray was on the verge of tears, a screech nearly passing his lips. “WE NEED TO GO. Now, before something worse happens.” That thought, the possibility of losing his best man, his lover and future husband ran through his head so much that he carried Nate back himself with the speed of a thunderstorm.

“Gideon, he nearly died? How did he not steel up when fighting Lady Recluse? Why is he still bleeding despite it being cleaned and compressed?” 

“Well Dr Palmer, due to Dr Heywood’s hemophilia the plasma levels in his blood were already low. Along with the shock he also took, it lowered his plasma even lower to where he requires around the clock care and prophylaxis to stabilize him. He can't go off the ship for at least two to three months.”

As Gideon finished her analysis, Nate began to stir and smiled at his boyfriend.

“Did something happened after Lady Recluse got trapped in my sword?”

Ray looks at Nate with a sense of apprehension and adoration combined. He knew Nate probably didn't want talk about it but also couldn't help but worry. 

“Oh god. Gideon told you, didn't she? Ray I -”

What terrified Nate currently was the lack of response from Ray. No interruptions, no interjections, just tense, unbroken silence. 

God, does he hate me? Are we breaking up? I should've told him but fuck, I was hoping he'd love me regardless -

“You should stop muttering under your breath so much honey, cause I heard everything you said. I still love you, I just wish you told me about the life threatening thing in the room. If I - “

“No, Ray don't you dare blame yourself. I kept to myself out of absolute selfishness and fear -”

“You don't get to feel bad because you wanted to be treated like a person and not a condition. Nate, I love you because you make me happy. That means being there for you in every way you want or need me to be. This doesn't change everything, just now I have to pay more attention than before.”

“I’d like that, when you pay attention to me I really enjoy it more than anything else. It's like being your favorite thing. I love that.”

“You dork, you are my favorite everything. Ok? I’all go get a blanket so you won't freeze here tonight.” 

“I love you Ray.”

“I love you more, you giant dork.”


End file.
